Cooper County, Missouri
A shallow water table limits basements on 66% of Cooper County's mapped land, a higher share than 78% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 37%.
None of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 1 flood losses here since 2016. 59% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Cooper County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | 36.7% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 65.5% |
| Septic fields very limited | 94.5% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 5.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 45.6% |
| Mapped soil | 364,205 acres |
How we count · survey areas MO053 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
Clay swell averages a linear extensibility of 5.4% by land area here, and 46% of the land reaches USDA's high class (6% or more). Clay like that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, under 37% of the mapped land.
On 66% of Cooper County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 45.94 in, 4.78 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 41.16 in.
USDA rates 94% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
0% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 10 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 92.6% of its area, on the February 10, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 0.6% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 0% |
| D2 severe or worse | 0% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
1 flood losses since 2016, $40,455 paid. The worst year was 2021, with 1.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 41.16 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 45.94 in (+4.78) |
| 2025 | 36.60 in (-4.56) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1993: 56.64 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1901: 22.86 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at NEW FRANKLIN 1W (12 mi away) | 11.3 |
Homes
| Housing units | 7,300 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 19% |
| Owner-occupied | 76% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $203,500 |
| Single-family detached | 82% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moniteau County, MO | 19 mi | 23% | 80% |
| Howard County, MO | 21 mi | 35% | 59% |
| Pettis County, MO | 27 mi | 68% | 76% |
| Boone County, MO | 29 mi | 71% | 78% |
| Saline County, MO | 29 mi | 44% | 69% |
| Morgan County, MO | 30 mi | 28% | 46% |
| Cole County, MO | 37 mi | 14% | 69% |
| Randolph County, MO | 44 mi | 83% | 85% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status